Wis. Collective Bargaining Law Is Constitutional, Judge Rules

Law360, Los Angeles (September 11, 2013, 6:27 PM ET) -- A Wisconsin federal judge Wednesday found the state law championed by Gov. Scott Walker that gutted government workers’ collective bargaining rights constitutional, rejecting arguments that it interfered with municipal employees’ right to associate and violated the Equal Protection Clause.

The decision comes after the Seventh Circuit upheld the controversial law in its entirety in January and reinstated its recertification provisions and its ban on deducting dues from workers’ paychecks. In a suit brought by the Wisconsin Education Association Counsel, a three-judge panel deemed Act 10 constitutional,...